1. Field of the Invention
For kindling a fire site and/or for igniting solid fuel materials, such as, for example, charcoal for grilling, pieces of firewood or the like, it is known to place a solid grill fire starter, for example saturated with kerosene, petroleum or N-paraffin, into the center of a fire site or grill, to place the solid fuel material around the grill fire starter and to light it with a long match. After the grill fire starter has burned down, the initially small amount of glowing material is kindled by a blower, for example a hair dryer or the like, until the desired size of the glowing material is reached.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In place of the use of a solid grill fire starter, it is also known to splash methylated spirits or the like over the fire site and then to light it, also followed by further kindling of the fire site by a blower.
It is disadvantageous, that there is a considerable danger of causing burns when lighting the grill fire starter with a match or lighter, and that the handling of the solid grill fire starter is unpleasant because its smell adheres to the hands. The handling of liquid fire starters, which are splashed from a container over the fire site, is dangerous, and often there is no electrical outlet in the vicinity of the fire site for operating the blower. The hair dryer which is preferably employed for this quickly shows damage to its outlet nozzle because of the high temperatures at the fire site to be kindled.
An alternative for avoiding the above mentioned problems lies in the use of a blowtorch for igniting and kindling the fire site.
Such a blowtorch is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,686. Essentially, the blowtorch includes a burner, regulated by an injector needle, in which a gas/air mixture is generated. If the injector needle is in the open position, gas continuously flows through the burner, regardless of whether or not the blowtorch is held in the hand. For turning off the flame, the injector needle must be completely placed into the closed position.
One disadvantage is the high price of gas-operated blowtorches, its complicated and delicate mechanical structure for adjusting the flame, its continuous operation forming a considerable danger of causing burns, even if it is not held by hand, and the relatively large gas bottles by which they are operated. This makes their use by laymen, who otherwise have no use for blowtorches, uneconomical, complicated and dangerous.
A lighter is known, which includes a small container of combustible gas, an annular element attached to it and which has a built-in valve and ignition switch, and an extension tube, which is connected to the annular element and has a nozzle at its free end. The container can hold only a little gas, and the extension tube only has a length of approximately 5 cm, so that the lighter is only suitable for igniting small, easily ignitable fire sites, such as the gas in gas stoves, or candles.